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Ex-lottery official may testify about Miers

Ex-Lottery Official May Testify

He alleged in lawsuit that Miers protected company because of Bush connection.

WASHINGTON -- The Senate Judiciary Committee is moving toward questioning a former Texas lottery official who has alleged that the state's Lottery Commission under Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers protected a contractor because one of its consultants had helped President Bush get into the National Guard.

Robert Vincent, a spokesman for Gtech, the Rhode Island-based company that ran the Texas lottery, confirmed Tuesday that the committee had contacted his company to see whether it would object to questioning of Lawrence Littwin, whose lawsuit against Gtech ended with a settlement that included a gag order barring him from discussing the allegations.

Vincent said the settlement allows Littwin, a former Texas lottery executive director, to "respond to any government inquiries" about his five-month stint at the Texas Lottery Commission in 1997.

Miers was an appointee of then-Gov. Bush who led the three-member commission from 1995 to 2000.

"We indicated we would fully cooperate with any request (the committee) might have," Vincent said.

Littwin's federal lawsuit, which sought $2.6 million but was settled in 1999 for $300,000, alleged that Gtech interference contributed to his firing. The firing came shortly after Littwin began looking into state campaign finance records to see whether Gtech had made illegal contributions to politicians.

In his lawsuit, Littwin said Gtech held sway over the commission because company consultant Ben Barnes, a former Texas lieutenant governor and House speaker, had had a direct role in getting Bush into the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.

The company called the allegations "preposterous" and admitted no wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

Littwin declined to comment. Earlier this month, when Miers was nominated, Littwin said, "If they call me to testify, I would testify."

Bush, in announcing his selection of longtime friend and adviser Miers to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, cited Miers' tenure at the Lottery Commission as evidence of her fairness and integrity.

A Judiciary Committee spokesman declined to discuss the panel's interest in Littwin's allegations. Miers' confirmation hearings are set to begin Nov. 7.


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Posted by Editor at October 26, 2005 09:35 AM